Many important and often critical equipment items are only occasionally used such as rescue equipment and fire fighting equipment including fire extinguishers, axes, and hoses. Such items are often stored in an out of the way but readily available location in case of an emergency. This is especially true aboard vehicles and vessels such as ships where rescues and fire fighting require a rapid response where all too often lives may be at stake. Because of the pitching and rolling of the ship-board environment, items require secure mounting while still providing the ability to rapidly de-mount the item for use.
Most prior art mounting systems use highly specialized mounting equipment specifically made for a particular equipment item. For example, a quick-release bracket system that may work well for one size or type of fire extinguisher may be wholly inadequate for another size or type. This can increase the cost of most specialized mounting equipment and ultimately can adversely impact the proper and safe equipping of a vehicle or vessel. High cost of specialized mounting systems and their installation and maintenance can prevent the abundant use of such items and thus jeopardize safety.
For example, fire extinguishers are often either kept in a dedicated, wall-mounted box or by a specialized steel belt using a snap-release clamp. Such specialized mounting hardware often requires installation by a skilled workman with specialized knowledge of the capabilities of the supporting fixture. Some mounting systems involve frangible structures such as break away glass which can be difficult, costly and time-consuming to reset for future use. In addition, rescue equipment such as fire extinguishers must be regularly checked to confirm they are in a useful condition. Periodic equipment checks may require removal and replacement of the equipment from its mounting location. This process can be time-consuming, and may require expensive reinstallation.
Hospital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) facilities are operated under strict guidelines to avoid damage and injuries due to the strong magnetic fields generated by MRI machines. Consequently, specialized magnetically compliant emergency equipment such as oxygen bottles and other life support equipment is often the only type usable in the MRI facility setting. Thus, there is a need to provide mounting of such compliant equipment within easy reach of support personnel in a rapidly deployable manner.
Therefore, there is a need for a quick release equipment mount which addresses some or all of the above identified inadequacies.